Calendar

JANUARY:

Email FAFSA renewal reminder notices are sent out by the Federal Department of Education Processor to students with valid email addresses who completed the FAFSA for the previous year.

Go to the FAFSA website, www.fafsa.ed.gov . The applicant will need his or her social security number, driver's license, income tax return, bank statements, and investment records. Dependent students will need their parents' records as well. Collecting this data beforehand makes the application process quicker and easier to understand.

The FAFSA website provides a worksheet that can be used to gather personal and parent data. Once completed, the form can be copied and transferred to the web. Remember the FAFSA is a snapshot in time and must be accurate as of the day you apply. Keep in mind that in order to electronically sign the FAFSA, you will need a personal identification number (PIN). Applying for a PIN can be done via the web site. All these steps should be taken before completing the application.

CWU applicants who expect to apply for financial aid MUST include their Social Security number (SSN) on their admissions application. To receive aid, your name, birthday, and SSN must be an exact match on CWU admissions records, the FAFSA, and the Social Security Administration database. It is important to use your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card.

FEBRUARY:

Check on the status of your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov . Make any required changes promptly.

February 1: be fully admitted to be considered for recruitment waivers.

Notify the scholarship office of any outside scholarships you have been awarded. Notify outside donors to make scholarship check out to "CWU for benefit of Your Name and ID."

AUGUST:

If you are accepting a PLUS loan, complete an Application for Plus Loan at www.studentloan.gov. Also, if this is the student's first Plus Loan, you must also complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) on the same site. First-time student borrowers must complete entrance counseling before loan disbursement. Go to www.studentloans.gov to complete entrance counseling.

SEPTEMBER:

Enroll in sufficient credits to receive aid. You must be enrolled at least half-time to receive loans (half-time is defined as 6 credits for undergraduates and post baccalaureates, 5 credits in 501 level or higher for graduate students). Most grant aid will be reduced for less than full time enrollment (12 credit undergrad).